Chapter 2: Subject of Sex
Remy was finding it very hard to concentrate on the movie, despite it was a movie he'd wanted to see for some time, he found it very hard on keeping his attention on anything other than Rogue – and of course the pain that still plagued his back. Rogue sat at his side, her elbow pressed against his, a large diet Coke in one hand, her mouth around the straw. She'd changed so much recently he could barely believe how different she was. He'd been battling with his concerns about these changes ever since his return to the X-Men.
But now, that they were dating again, it bothered him even more so. It wasn't like Rogue to be so forward – she'd been the one to ask him out for his birthday, when usually he was the one to make advances asking her on dates. And now, she was wearing these…incredibly tight alluring skimpy clothes that she'd never worn before. He couldn't help but worry.
And couldn't help but feel stirred by it at the same time. He was still flesh and blood, and the way she looked right now made the flesh on his neck tingle and the blood in his veins rush furiously to his groin.
When the movie was over, they left the theatre, "We're eating just across the road," Rogue gestured to a restaurant known as Old Orleans, it looked almost as if it had come right out of the French Quarter itself. Remy had barely been paying attention, his thoughts still distracted.
"Hmm?" he asked, only half listening, "oh…right."
"Remy, what is up with you, you've been like…distant since we come out – you weren't paying much attention to the movie…" Rogue pointed out.
"Uhm, I was…I just, I don't know…I was uncomfortable, those seats aren't comfortable, and my back is still pretty sore…" he admitted.
"Yeah, I noticed you kept shifting around," Rogue nodded.
"It hurts pretty bad if I sit still for too long," Remy shrugged.
"Poor baby," Rogue looped her arm with his, "c'mon," she pulled him across the road, he followed willingly, she walked slightly ahead of him, he watched the flex of the backs of her thighs, and he heard the clicking of her platform boots against the sidewalk.
"I'm having fun, really," Remy lied, he wasn't. He couldn't get into the date at all so far, maybe it was the fact of his birthday looming over him.
"You'll feel better once you've eaten," Rogue smiled, she looked up at him.
Remy looked at her arm, looped with his, he was reminded of what she'd said the night before. No touching, no hugging…and yet, here she was, this was definitely touching, "what happened to last nights rules?" he stopped her slowly.
"I'm abandoning them, just for tonight, just to see how things go," Rogue said.
"But you said…" Remy began.
"I know what I said," Rogue stated firmly, "but sayin' something and doin' it are two different things entirely," she stood opposite him, she lovingly fixed the collar of his trenchcoat, "I was mad at you last night, I'm not mad now. Things that are said change," she said, "and after eighteen months of being on and off again more than a broken faucet, I think it won't hurt to start from where we left off," she added.
"Sounds like you gave it a lot of thought," he rested both hands on her hips, the cold leather of her skirt against his fingers.
"I did," she nodded, her hair stirred in the wind and she tucked it back behind her ears.
"So…what do you mean when you say we should start where we left off…where did we leave off?" He asked curiously. Truthfully, he remembered distinctly where he left off with Rogue before everything went wrong, but he wanted to know what her definition of where they left off might be.
"Just before everything went pearshaped," Rogue answered.
"Which is? What? The night we got engaged?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It's too soon to go THAT close to where we left off…but not too far away from it," Rogue said, "if…that's alright?"
Remy looked at her, "You don't want to go back to our engagement then?"
"Of course I do," Rogue looked away, becoming frustrated with the conversation already, "I just…" she trailed off, "look, we just got out of a bad patch…we need to get comfortable around each other again before we can think about that, okay?" she asked.
Remy pulled her closer to him, "I'm perfectly comfortable around you," he admitted.
"That's not what I meant," Rogue pushed him back a little, "c'mon, we have a reservation," she smiled.
Soon, the two were seated at the table, and had ordered their meal, whilst waiting, drinks were ordered, Rogue sipping a diet coke, Remy sipping a cocktail.
"Just think," Rogue smirked, "Now that you're twenty-one, you can have your first LEGAL drink," she grinned.
Remy raised an eyebrow, "You quickly forget that in Scotland I was drinking – and that was perfectly legal," he said.
Rogue rolled her eyes, "y'know what I mean."
"Yeah, I do," he nodded, "so…we haven't really had much
chance to talk since I came back from Muir Island…what is new with you?"
Rogue shrugged, "Nothing."
"School going okay?"
"I'm failing Math," Rogue made a face, "but otherwise everything is fine."
"So…how long did it take?"
Rogue looked over the table at Remy, confused, "How long did what take?"
"Before you got together with Jared."
"Jesus, Remy," Rogue put her drink down rather loudly, "do we NEED to discuss this?" "Yes," Remy said, "Only fair I should know the details, isn't it?" he asked, "I'm asking as a friend rather than a boyfriend – as of right now, technically that's what we are, right? Friends?"
"I would think more, didn't we just touch on the subject of us a while ago? I said we could go back to where we left off…we're more than friends."
"fine, pretend of me of less than that, then, so you can answer me…" Remy sipped his drink, "c'mon, tell me about him. Why…him?"
Rogue sighed, "I'd rather not."
"Please?"
Rogue sighed, "it was about three days, I think…he
just…he kept coming to me and tellin' me how much he loved me…and…I couldn't
help myself…" she looked down to the table.
"I was just…hurt I guess, when you told me to go. I wasn't sure if it would ever work out or
if you intended ever coming back…and Jared was there."
"He hurt you, didn't he?"
Rogue's face went scarlet, "he wasn't hitting me or nothing, if that's what you mean."
"No, but I can tell he hurt you somehow…with his powers?"
"Sometimes…I don't think he meant it," Rogue swallowed, "can we please change the subject?"
"Did you fuck him?"
Rogue's eyes widened, "Remy!"
"C'mon, don't I deserve to know? You know I've fucked someone, don't I deserve to know if you fucked that blue haired fuckwit?"
"You know it isn't possible. Anyway," Rogue cleared her throat, "What about this…this woman you met in Scotland, the one you fucked…"
"What about her?" Remy sipped his drink, he tried to keep calm, he didn't want to get into an argument, although he could feel one might stir up soon.
"Tell me about her," Rogue stated.
"Not much to tell," Remy said quietly.
"Tell me."
"She was kinda attractive, very wholesome lookin', plain…" Remy shrugged, "Smart as hell…and she liked me…and she knew I was pinin' after you and wanted to help me get over it."
"So you fucked her."
"Only once," Remy said, "After I'd done it, I hated myself…" he looked down, "still do."
"How much did you do with her?" Rogue asked.
"Why?" Remy lit a cigarette, pulling the nearby ashtray closer to himself.
"I just, I want to know how intimate you allow yourself to get with complete strangers," Rogue said.
"Does this have any relevance to anything?" Remy took in a long drag from the cigarette.
Rogue propped her elbow on the table and rested her cheek against her hand, "I'm asking as a friend," she said firmly.
Remy realised she had him cornered, there was no way of getting out of this one, "mostly straight sex, we kissed, but barely…" he trailed off.
"Was she good?" Rogue asked casually, she pretended to be more general about the subject than she felt towards it.
"Huh?" Remy raised both eyebrows, the cigarette dangled from his mouth.
"It's a simple question," Rogue said, "was she good in bed?"
"She was…" he searched for the words, "average."
"Compared to?" Rogue raised a finely plucked eyebrow.
"I don't want to have to go into this," Remy said, "Chere, you wanted to start all over but so far, we're goin' back on stuff that we already covered lots of times, this isn't starting over…"
"We established that we weren't."
"You established," Remy corrected, he drew his breath.
"When you love someone aren't you supposed to 'share the roster'?" Rogue reminded.
"Huh?" he asked, he flicked his cigarette.
"Y'know, you tell the person you love about every person you've had sex with or been in love with so that they know…"
"I don't see how your knowin' about all my previous sexual relationships will make much difference to our relationship," Remy glanced up as the food arrived, the waitress looked most interested in their conversation and his face went red with embarrassment, he kept his mouth shut until she'd put the plates down and left.
"It makes a difference to me," she shrugged, "I need to know all your secrets, so that nothin' will ever shock me again…" Rogue explained.
Remy snorted a little, "you think anything could shock you now after everything we've been through?" he stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray.
Rogue smirked, "I guess not…" she admitted, "I'm surprised anything could surprise me anymore, the way my life has been lately," she added, she ran her fingers absently through her hair.
Remy absently picked at his food, "lets forget the subject of sex, Chere, its something that ain't gonna affect either of us for a very long time…"
Rogue looked at him, "How can you be so sure?" she asked.
Remy didn't answer, he quietly forced himself to eat his meal.